There are some communities that thrive almost magically, like the community Pedro Sobral, O Novo Mercado, Reforge, Growth Leaders Academy, etc.
While others do everything, but never seem to "get the hang of it".
What separates the successful from the unsuccessful? Effort? Talent? Niche? Money?
Each of the above can help, but is not the key factor.
What separates them is that the successful ones use the CARPA methodology and the others don't.
Successful people don't always do this consciously, but it doesn't matter. The important thing is to put it into practice. Whether intentionally or not.
If you want to create a community that grows and stays healthy, I recommend that you read on to learn more about CARPA.
CARPA Framework: The Essence of a Community Vibrant
In Chinese mythology, a carp is capable of becoming a dragon. To do so, it has to go upriver until it reaches the source. The journey is complicated. It's upstream, there are predators and it's extremely tiring.
At the end of the course, the carp has to overcome one last challenge: a waterfall.
The few carp that manage to do this turn into powerful dragons.
The carp symbolizes persistence and resilience and these two attributes are often rewarded.
That's why many people tattoo carp. That's why Magikarp is harmless, but evolves into a Gyarados. (Why the hell am I talking about Pokemon? Let me get back to the text)
This journey from harmless carp to a dragon is similar to the journey of making a community from scratch can become a great business that generates revenue and requires little work.
No wonder the methodology used to reach this point is called CARPA.
CARPA symbolizes the 5 things that a person (unconsciously) seeks in a community.
When he finds the 5, he stays. If he doesn't, he leaves sooner or later.
They are:
Connections, Learning, Recognition, Purpose and Autonomy.
Connection
Create a community goes beyond simply bringing people together. It's about fostering genuine connections between members, uniting them by common values, experiences and interests.
Over time, these connections turn into personal relationships, which are the foundation of the community. In smaller groups, this interaction happens more fluidly. Therefore, the larger the group, the more important it is to ensure that people have the chance to meet in smaller sub-groups.
In online communities, you can create rituals that strengthen these connections - whether it's a weekly discussion or a space to exchange ideas. The essential thing is that members feel that they belong to something meaningful, something bigger than a simple virtual conversation. Without these connections, a community is nothing more than a random collection of individuals. Promote the creation of real bonds to sustain group cohesion.
Connection example
About 15 years ago, I used to play a specific kind of CS (shooting game) called CS Surf. We organized ourselves in a community orkut. There, matches were scheduled, people debated tactics, learned things and so on. It started out as a community game, but the connections created there have lasted a lifetime. I carry with me friendships I've made in the game for over 20 years. People I met in person. And the coolest thing of all: when I did this post here on Linkedinhe reached out to other people who were part of this community and we reconnected.
Communities that allow this kind of connection to be created tend to thrive.
Learning
The feeling of progress and evolution is one of the greatest motivators for those who are part of a community. When someone masters a new skill or reaches a new level, it strengthens their bond with the group. Communities that encourage learning and provide opportunities for personal growth become essential for their members.
In online communities, you can stimulate this evolution with challenges, workshops or even symbolic awards that recognize members' efforts and achievements. Encourage continuous growth and celebrate victories, however small. When people see that they are evolving as a result of being part of the communityThey connect with her even more.
Purpose
Purpose is what differentiates a community of a simple group of people. It's what gives meaning to the group's activities and keeps everyone moving in the same direction. As the leader of communityIt is your role to continually reinforce this purpose until the members really internalize it.
Regardless of the objective - be it learning paid traffic (Community do Sobral), copywriting (Centurions by Rocky Vega), Growth (Growth Leaders Academy) - the purpose must always be clear and visible to everyone. It must be the compass that guides all of the company's decisions and actions. communityhelping to attract and engage people who share the same vision.
Recognition
It's what keeps members engaged and motivated to continue contributing to the organization. community. It doesn't have to be anything big; a simple thank you or mention can make all the difference. Appreciating a member's efforts, whether for helping someone or for making a relevant contribution, creates a culture of support and reciprocity.
In online communities, recognition can be formal, with awards and achievements, or informal, with public praise and thanks in chat. The important thing is that people feel seen and appreciated. They may even forget the exact words you used, but they will remember how valued they felt. And that sense of belonging and gratitude is what keeps them engaged.
A good example of recognition can be seen in Pedro Sobral's logged-in area. Some students have an "Experienced Student" badge. I don't know exactly what needs to be done to get one of these, but it does give recognition to those who have it.
This is one of the great challenges for those who create community on Whatsapp. The lack of this feature makes it difficult to guarantee recognition to those who deserve it, which ends up being a danger for the community in the long term.
Autonomy
Autonomy is a fundamental pillar for the members of an organization. community really feel part of the whole. They need to have the freedom to choose how they want to participate and get involved.
The most dynamic communities allow their members to follow their own paths, according to their interests. Rather than imposing rigid rules, the ideal is to offer clear guidelines and space for them to explore their own possibilities.
In online communities, this can be done by creating thematic subgroups or specific channels for different subjects, where people can explore topics that interest them without get stuck in a single line of discussion. The key is to give a direction, but without prune the creativity or limit the autonomy of the participants.
Conclusion
The vast majority of communities created by a infoproducer already meets the requirements of Autonomy, Purpose and Learning.
The focus should mainly be on increasing and improving the quality of connections between members and giving more recognition to those members who help the most. community.
How Scarf helps give recognition
Scarf has a ranking of the members with the most relevant contributions to the community which is visible to all members.
It also allows the owner of the community create "badges" and distribute them according to the triggers he wants.
Badges are a visual indication that appears next to the member's name on any post, comment and profile.
Still too vague? Let's look at some examples.
- Graduate" badge for members who have completed at least one course
- "Experienced member" badge for those who receive more than 50 likes on posts and comments
- "Bate-ready" badge for those who are the first to comment on more than 20 posts.
Thus, members with relevant activity start to receive recognition automatically and have a status within the organization. community.
In fact, while writing this last part, I realized that I need to create some templates with these pre-prepared options to give the owner less work to do. community.
I'm going to finish the text here and implement this idea. See you next time!